This invention relates to a method for reassuring a nursing mother that her baby is receiving sufficient breast milk and therefore sufficient nutrition. The method uses an objective measurement indicative of the amount of breast milk swallowed by the baby.
Mothers of newborn babies have a strong need to understand how much their baby has breast fed. There were 4.1 million births in the United States alone in 2003 and about 70% of all new moms breast feed. The first two weeks of breastfeeding show the largest declines in breastfeeding with 10% drop off each week. There is a significant opportunity to reassure (especially first-time) mothers that their babies are breastfeeding appropriately, particularly during the first weeks when mom is unsure and not confident in her breastfeeding ability. The mother does not know the state of her baby's stomach and may question whether her baby's stomach is sufficiently full.
Prior devices have attempted to quantify breastfeeding by interposing a flow meter between mother and baby. Such devices can lead to obvious problems with delivery, intimacy, and bonding between mother and baby.
While particular embodiments and/or individual features of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, it should be apparent that all combinations of such embodiments and features are possible and can result in preferred executions of the invention.